The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-10-26
LEVYING FEDERAL SP0lLS.
The Civil Service Law Being Deflantly
Violated in Iowa-A Daisy Letter.
From the Des Moines Register.

While Cleveland is swinging around the
circle in a palatial train on his tour for
votes, and Wanting and being Wanted as
the great purist and civil-service reformer,
the committees of his party are waging an
active campaign and levying on his Office
holders tor money. In Iowa the levying
for federal spoils is actively going on.
Chairman Hunter of the State Committee,
acting in collision with the leading federal
office holders of this city, have listed the
Office holders OF the State and begun to
send out notices for them TO send in good
liberal portion of their salaries to use in
connection with the saloon fund in the
campaign. That the public, including MIR.
Cleveland himself, may see Just how de-
family the civil service law is being violated
in Iowa, we give below the confidential
letter in which the federal Office holders are
being notified to pony up and lose no time
in doing so. The letter is daisy in these
civil service reform times, and Is plain
demand, your money or your office. !"
Here il is:
HEADQ'Rs DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE,
HAwKEYE CLUB Rooms,
DIES MONIES, Iowa, Oct. u, 1887.
MY DEAR SIR-Our committee Is now actively
engaged in perfecting our organization, arranging
to send speakers documents, and workers into
different parts Of the State, more especially in
crat, certainly must realize the importance OF
sustaining us in this work.
As you are receiving some OF tho fruits OF our
victory in 1884, take the liberty to call on you
for a voluntary contribution Such Il contrbu-
ton at this time will be very acceptable, and
will bo instrumental, in large degree, in aiding
us In paying obligations already contracted and
carrying on campaign work that We have laid
out.
There is also other important legitimate cam
paign work that We should do, provided we are
In r,fg ha6 tha Iigifa nn6a hnV nm
doubtedly observed that the Republican State
Committee are endeavoring to ovorwhelm us
with speakers and workers, hoping shereby to
regain their lost prestige in the State.
While you hold Federal office it Ia not ex-
pocted that you will engage in politics In an Of
fensive way or to the neglect OF your official
duties, but, in the language OF President Cleve-
land Individual interest and activity in politi-
cal affairs are b. no means condemned Of1ioe-
holders are neither disfranchised nor forbidden
| tho exercise OF political privileges.
The question will naturally arise, how much
| should be contributed2 Presidential postmas-
tors generally contributing from S2j to $50.
Fourth class postmasters, from So 70 s25 rail-
way postal clerks, $40 TO SIS members OF pen
| sion examining boards, $40 to SIS and other
| Federal ofiioe-holders in proportion to the
amount OF salary received as compared with
| the officials named above. We make no de-
mands nor assessments. Will you kindly reply
| TO this communication at an early day? am
sincerely yours, EDw. II. HUNTER,
Chairman.
Thus we have the regular list and sched-
ule of the Federal spoils in Iowa. Presi-
dental postmasters, $50 head; second
class postmas,ers, S25; little postmasters,
with salaries of from SO to S25 each, g
each; there is nothing mean about the
| Democratic Central Committee-it will take
anything of forced levy, however small
in amount. Railway postal clerks, SIS
each; same amount from surgeons of ex-
amining boards. After plainly making il
appear that the money must come or the
Office probably be lost, the recipient OF
this demand is informed at the tail end OF
the letter, I'VE make no demands or as
sessments," but instantly adds, will you
kindly reply TO this communication at ar
early day." Mr.. Hunter must be humor.
list as we'll as a Jack Cade in politics. He
saws it is voluntary contribution that al
officeholders should make, but for fear they
should not think of it themselves, or will
not send it if they do not think OF it, he
writes to tell them that it is expected anc
that it must be hurried up.